


Little Green Monster

by FeralFeverDream



Category: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
Genre: A City Bus?, Anxiety, Care is stressed the hell out, Death of a delicious drink, First time Care Root comes face-to-face with Curly Winds.., M/M, angry screeching, mall, umm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:19:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23682253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeralFeverDream/pseuds/FeralFeverDream
Summary: ‘Is it socially acceptable to die now?’In which Care kind of enjoys a trip to the mall. Well, not really.
Relationships: Curly Winds/Wiz Kid (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	Little Green Monster

_‘Why did I come to the mall again?_ ’ Care thought balefully as he ran into a random shop and hid amongst racks of colorful clothing, hoping the irate woman would pass without noticing him.

Though as he saw her stomp past the pretzel kiosk toward the restrooms, he had to admit green was really not her color, and he could understand her fury at her newest matcha-infused blouse.

He had meant to apologize for bumping into her as well as offer to pay for her next dry-cleaning bill, but in the face of her angry shriek, all he could do was flee in muted terror. He never had fared too well with anyone’s rage directed at him, but that scream told him she was ready to maim, and there was no way he was sticking around for _that_.

As uneasy minutes passed in silence, he wondered how long he would need to stay hidden before she left the mall for good, but he figured he could ultimately just curl up and die as penance right there to avoid any future accidents.

His stomach burbled in admonishment at the thought, but he stubbornly stayed, weighing his options with serious contemplation.

He probably wouldn’t be found until he started stinking, though. Care Root decided it would be terribly inconvenient for the person who might happen across his corpse, and so he moved on to a different plan: leaving the mall as quickly and as quietly as possible to avoid any further altercations.

But as he moved out and away from his hiding spot, he looked up only to see the slightly-less-greenified woman staring right at him from the store’s entrance, her foot tapping a murderous tune. He blinked at her once, twice, then gritted his teeth in what he hoped was an apologetic smile. He felt his stomach politely roil in deference to his plight.

Was it too late to melt back into the rack of clothes and pray she hadn’t seen him? The glare that seared across her face was all the answer he needed.

“Things were starting to look up too,” he murmured to himself, all at once feeling his guilt (and bits of smoothie) rush up his throat, past his mouth, and into existence, laid bare for the world to see.

“Ew, Seriously?!” Came yet another shriek, this time from the lanky blonde cashier who had barely looked up from her phone the whole time he was there. She was, of course, looking at him now, disgust and contempt warring with what could pass as pity if she had been staring at anyone else. 

As Care Root coughed in resignation, he fiddled anxiously with his bowtie and wondered what he did to deserve the inability to stomach even this much stress. 

It’s not like they were gonna beat him up. 

At least, he hoped not. 

He broke out in a cold sweat at the prospect of physical harm, and his legs suddenly felt like overcooked spaghetti. True to the notion, they crumbled under his meager weight and gravity took hold of him, forcing him closer to the mess he had made on the floor.

The two women blinked at each other in dismay before they deigned him too much trouble and quietly left him there to sit with his puke and patheticness.

_‘Is it socially acceptable to die_ now _?’_ He wondered as the cashier lady finally huffed back into the shop with a security guard and janitor in tow. The smoothie-splattered woman had since disappeared, along with any dignity he once thought he had. 

Without so much as a look in his direction, the cashier went back to her post behind the counter and began flicking through her phone. The rotund janitor had quickly mopped up the evicted contents of his stomach and meandered away, humming some melody or other.

Care Root just stared at his shaking hands, unable to make himself look up at the tower that was the mall cop, too preoccupied with trying to keep his breathing under control. The tower sighed and mumbled something as Care was hauled up and pushed gently back into the hubbub of the other mall-goers. He vaguely heard the tower ask him a question, but couldn’t fathom what he could possibly want from him.

Care Root finally looked away from his shoes and up and up and up to the tower’s sunglasses.

“I’m sorry” was all Care could muster before he fidgeted and turned his gaze away.

“Are you on drugs, kid?” He heard the tower ask.

“No,” Care replied feebly, but for whatever reason, the disbelieving silence made Care giggle and then he couldn’t stop laughing as the tower looked on in quiet vexation. After a solid minute of uncontrolled laughter, he stopped abruptly and coughed out yet another apology, swearing he wasn’t crazy. It’s just been a rough day, and “I’m gonna go home now, sir. Sorry about all this.” 

With a lazy salute, he staggered away on spaghetti legs and out the front doors, leaving the tower scratching his head.

  
  


Once Care Root had successfully tottered to the bus stop, he dropped himself down on the thankfully deserted bench with a sigh. He pulled his legs up to his chest, his arms resting atop his knees. With another forlorn sigh, he abandoned any pride, flopped his head on his arms for good measure, and huddled into a small, pathetic ball.

His thoughts reeling, Care felt himself careen even further into self-deprecation. Everyone probably thought he was crazy, acting the way he did. ‘ _But I couldn’t help it.’_ Things just got to be too much and he panicked. Or. ‘ _Something_ .’ He was bound to be on the receiving end of someone’s anger, as clumsy as he was. ‘ _I just make a mess of things.’_ That’s what he was told often enough.

A memory flashed to his mind’s eye, but he quickly squashed it down before he could feel anything about it.

_‘After everything, you think I’d learn to try and stay away from people.’_

But he didn’t want to be cooped up in his apartment all the time. He already spent too much time indoors, what with school, his online jobs, and just existing as a person in general. He never thought of himself as particularly social, but he also never considered that he could be happy shying away and isolating himself from others. ‘ _So I’m a social introvert?’_ That didn’t quite sound right in his head, but he gave up on the thought as the bus pulled up with a screeching hiss.

A few people filtered out before Care moved to get on. He must’ve been pretty out of it, though, because he walked right into someone still trying to step off. A little squeak left him as the wall of muscle into which he faceplanted stuttered out an apology and grabbed his slender arms before he could fall backward.

Without looking up, Care Root shook his head with a small, repentant smile and said, “It was my fault. Sorry.” As the other’s hands fell away, Care backed up so he could pass.

Care finally stole a glance at the guy he ran into. 

He was tall. Not tower-tall, but pretty close. Handsome too. With gorgeous skin the color of the sky and hair a wild tangle of similar colored curls. His shirt was definitely hiding some rock-solid abs, too. Damn. It hurt to look at him, really.

The handsome stranger stepped off gracefully and paused to say something, thought better of it, and just stared at Care Root with what seemed like alarm. The stranger's face melded into an odd shade of purple before he turned from him fully and jogged away.

At that, Care grimaced and rushed onto the public transport, ready for this day to end. As he found a seat somewhere near the back, he glanced at his reflection in the window. 

Of course, the most attractive guy he’s ever seen would find him repulsive. He looked terrible. His eyes looked dull and had huge bags under them. His skin was even paler than normal, the usually light smattering of freckles a heinous minefield of blotches across his nose. He more than likely reeked of vomit and anxiety, too.

Ugh. What a horrible day.

He supposed getting a new pair of shoes wasn’t that big a deal and it could wait a week or two.

Or forever. 

That sounded good.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope your day is going well!
> 
> Byeee!
> 
> -F


End file.
